"A vicious circle has now come to an end," Senator Farhatullah Babar told CNN. Now, a killer will face a minimum sentence of 25 years in jail, Babar said. "No murderer will be able to walk away free even if his parents or family members forgive him for killing his sister, wife or mother in the name of 'honor.'"

Pakistan's prime minister, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, has been under pressure to prosecute those who commit violence against women. "Honor killings" typically involve a woman being slain by a relative who believes she has brought shame upon the family.

"There is no honor in honor killing," he said earlier this year and again in a statement after Thursday's vote.

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"Women are the most essential part of our society and I believe in their empowerment, protection and emancipation so that they can equally contribute towards development and prosperity of our country."

In July, Waseem Baloch strangled his sister, Qandeel Baloch, at their home because he believed "girls are born to stay at home and follow traditions." He confessed the murder on video and expressed no remorse, saying, "I am proud of what I did. I drugged her first, then I killed her."

"That culture of impunity still has to go. The woman who has not been murdered, the survivors of such crimes have not been provided with any recourse. This bill only deals with murder and death," she said to CNN. "This still does not make honor killing a crime against the state, which is what we have also been working for. "

Zahra Ullah and Juliet Perry contributed to this report. Kelly Chen wrote from Atlanta.